Children of the Assassins
by Hyperteenager24
Summary: A young girl, severly affected by the bombing that occured in Traitors in our Midst, is suspected of the murder of the man who had helped her. Part 8 of the Modern Assassins Creed series
1. Chapter 1

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

…

"Oh, the waves roll low… And the waves roll high, and so it goes.

Under the bright blue… Endless Sky

Waves try to measure, the days that we treasure

Wave hello, and wave goodbye."

Henry wearily opened his eyes as the song pierced his consciousness, turning his attention to the window and frowning at the shadowed figures sitting on the windowsill.

Evie looked troubled.

"Evie… love?"

Slowly, she twisted around to gaze at him, a sad smile flashing across her face. "Sorry…" she whispered, "… I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't… what was that song?"

Turning her attention back to the window, Evie sighed. "Apparently Mum used to sing it to me and Jacob when we were in the womb… Dad still had an old recording of it. He played it for our thirteenth birthday."

"… It's lovely."

"Yeah… It's the anniversary today… of the Cormac bombings."

Henry immediately felt the mood in the room drop even further… it was around six years since Jacob had left and there had been only two sightings of him since then, one of them in person.

It was no wonder Evie seemed so down.

"Are you still going to the social even tonight?" He eventually spoke up, "Because I can- "

"- I'm going." Evie interrupted, "Everyone else will be there, and it was my brother who suffered the accusations of the town. I need to show them I still support him." She then paused, forcing a smile on her face as she glanced back at Henry, "And I bought the suit… it would be a shame to let it rot in the cupboard."

…

"Five drinks already."

Edward glanced up and glared at the club owner standing above him, "Yeah… what's it to ya?"

Vex actually seemed a little bit concerned… not that Edward could really tell behind the mask. "It's not even ten o'clock in the morning… something troubling you?"

"If I wanted to talk, I would have stayed at the bar and talked to that bloke… leave me alone."

Vex showed no sign of leaving.

"Piss. Off!"

"No… you're getting cut off and you're going to talk to someone."

"I said PISS OFF!" Edward stumbled up from his feet and attempted to punch Vex in the face, only to be surprised when the club owner swiftly stopped it, twisted him around and pinned him to the table, arm pinned behind his back.

"Everything's alright…" Vex spoke up, clearly addressing the bouncers who had moved forwards at the sight of their boss being attacked, "… he's just having a bad day."

Once they were gone, Vex turned his attention back to Edward, "You gonna calm down now?"

"… Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Yes! Now let go!"

Vex released his arm and took a step back as Edward pushed himself back to his feet.

"You wanna tell me what's wrong now?"

Edward was silent for a brief moment, before sighing wearily. "It's been six years since the bombings… all everyone else is talking about is how grateful they are for the Assassin's help and everything… but all I can think about is the fact that my best friend left and decided he was never coming back. The fact that my best friend is now somewhere in this town, deliberately hiding from us! I was the one who set him up with Freddie! Freddie! You'd think he'd have contacted the person he mooned over for years!"

Before Vex could answer, Edward's phone began to ring, and he groaned weakly. "Please don't be Uncle Haytham. Please don't be Uncle Haytham. Please don't be- crap."

He answered the call and winced as Haytham immediately started to scold him, not saying a word until the very end.

"Yeah, yeah… I got it…. Smart clothes all the way…. Whatever."

Edward hung up and sighed wearily. "… I gotta go."

"You don't sound happy about it?"

"Apparently we have to go to a fundraising for the orphans left behind after the bombings… I don't mind that, it's a good cause, but every year, someone wants to bad-mouth Jacob and I don't know if I will be able to contain myself this year."

Once again, before Vex could say anything, Edward held up his hand and headed for the exit. "Whatever man… you wouldn't understand."

….

"You look… stunning." Henry gasped as Evie practically glided over to him, "I-I thought you were wearing a suit?"

Dressed a floor-length, red velvet dress that accentuated all of her curves, Evie smirked. "I thought this would be a pleasant surprise."

"Y-you hate dresses!"

"I hate dresses with corsets…" She glanced around, slipping her arm through Henry's (whilst admiring his Indian formal wear), "… it's nice to see that everyone could make it."

Arno, dressed in a navy blue, French suit was speaking to Elise, who was wearing a black, knee-length, strapless bardot dress, that contrasted perfectly with her red hair.

Connor, who looked really uncomfortable in his own suit, was dancing with Aveline, who was wearing a stunning yellow, jewel-neck, sleeveless, lace, two-piece with a sweep trail.

Ezio and Leo were happily dancing together.

And Edward… well Edward looked like he was mostly drunk already, his shirt already open at the collar as he flirted with some high-class lady at the bar. Adewale, of course, wasn't far behind.

All the Council members were there as well, to show the Creed's support for the event.

Everyone who was anyone was here.

"Is that Evie Frye in a dress?"

And they really meant everyone.

Evie span around on the spot, to watch Vex and Kenzi make their way over, drink glasses already half-empty.

At first glance, Vex was wearing a normal suit, complete with a phantom of the opera style mask and top hat… and then Evie glanced down.

"Is that Vex in a kilt?" she teased, chuckling when Vex cackled and twirled around.

"It shows off my legs… still doesn't answer the question why you're in a dress Miss Frye." Vex then gestured at Kenzi, who was wearing a dark blue, sleeveless style with a high neckline and a side slit, her hair long and curled, "Do you realise just how long it took for me to get her to wear that?"

Kenzi rolled her eyes, nodding in thanks as Evie complimented her, however, but before Evie could say anything, Mrs Disraeli, the wife of the Mayor came rushing over.

"Vex! Kenzi!" she cooed in glee, "I'm so delighted that you could make it."

After Vex bowed and kissed the hand of the older lady, Mrs Disraeli then turned her attention to Evie, and quickly took her arm.

"You must see the wall!" she announced, pulling Evie through the crowd to the far-right wall, where a tribute wall was situated, "I managed to convince the mayor to put another photo of Jacob on it this year."

As they all walked through the crowd, Evie felt a small pang in her heart when she spotted the wall that sat as a tribute to the victims of the bombing. Every year, Mrs. Disraeli argued with her husband about putting another photo of Jacob on the wall, arguing that "he was still a victim."

"I've never seen this before." Vex's voice was quiet behind them, his gaze scanning over the wall, and the photos of Jacob, "I didn't realise Jacob had so much support out of the Creed."

"Oh yes!" Mrs Disraeli nodded, "Not that they did at first of course, but I know the truth… Jacob would never have been a part of that and the town should know that."

There was a brief moment of silence as Vex stared at the photos of a beaming Jacob, before he turned to Mrs Disraeli. "You should be a national treasure Madam… and I mean that."

The words were sincere and heartfelt… but confusing all the same.

Before any of the Assassins could say anything, there was the chink of a spoon against the glass, indicating that someone wanted to speak.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" a well-spoken man spoke up from the front of the room, "… almost six years ago, one hundred and forty children were left as orphans, their parents killed during the bombings of the local Creed. Thanks to efforts of the local community, they were given a place to leave, a second chance at life. Baker House has made great strides in ensuring a placement for each and every child that comes through its' doors. And now it's time for us to play a part…. With your contributions tonight- "

"- and I daresay a sizable chunk from you, eh Howard?" Interrupted a well-dressed man standing near the front, causing everyone to chuckle.

Howard Rookwood took it well, chuckling along with the crowd and continuing. "With your contributions tonight, I believe that the future of these children will be significantly brighter!"

As everyone clapped, with several people calling out "here, here", Vex leaned over to Evie, "Surely the Assassin families took the orphan assassins in?"

"Not really…" she sighed, "… there were two many children for us to keep track of. We tried though, we really tried."

"Of course…" Mister Rookwood continued, "… none of this would be possible without the director of Baker House, Mister Calvin Baker!"

Another well-dressed man was pushed forwards, taking his own place at the podium. "This is as much a party as it is a fundraiser…" he smiled at the crowd, "… so everyone drink, enjoy and give generously. Thank you."

The speeches were over, and everyone seemed to migrate back to the bar.

Evie however, kept her eye on Rookwood, watching as he walked over to his wife and daughter, closely followed by the man who'd interrupted him earlier. Rookwood then went to speak to Mister Baker… and that definitely looked tense.

"Evie?"

She twisted around just as Rookwood headed back to his family, smiling at Henry as he held out his arm.

"We're going to toast Jacob together."

"Of course…" she sighed, "… I'll be there shortly."

As Rookwood left the party, a dark feeling overcame her…. Something was going to go wrong.

She could sense it.


	2. Chapter 2

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

…

"Mon Dieu…" Arno groaned, "… I forgot how much using Eagle Vision hurts with a hangover."

Edward couldn't reply… he simply groaned in agreement, resting his forehead against the cool wall that was part of their training session.

"Why is your Uncle doing this to us?"

"… Because he likes watching people suffer… it's how he survives, he feeds off suffering."

"Then I'll be well-fed today, hmm?"

The pair yelped, spinning around and groaning in unison as Haytham smirked at them. "If you two are quite done, we have a bit of a situation on our hands."

…..

Rookwood's house was certainly impressive, his stables even more so… the dead body ruined the whole view though.

"Alright Leo…" Edward greeted, rushing over with Arno, wincing at the pain in his head, "… what we got?"

"It's Howard Rookwood."

"Please tell me this is just another case of someone not holding their drink… why did Freddie call us in?"

Leo shrugged, "Nessuna idea… it looks like he fell and got trampled by the horses." He then frowned and leaned closer to the body, "Or so it seems… this head wound looks nothing like a horse trample wound, and I know what horse trample wounds look like."

Yeah, probably through experiments with dead pigs knowing Leo.

"So… what caused it?"

"Hmmm, something with a flat, hard surface."

Edward frowned, "So… the killer hits him and then what? Makes it look like he was trampled by horses…. A bit much ain't it?"

"It's what it looks like…" Leo pushed himself to his feet and sighed, "… Che peccato… he did so much for the community."

"Apparently someone thought otherwise."

….

Later on, as they were taking the body away and the children of the Baker house gathered around in morbid curiosity, Edward pulled Arno to one side. "No wallet, watch or those nice cufflinks he was wearing last night… robbery gone wrong?"

"Then we give it back to the police, we don't have time for robbery cases…." Arno watched as several members of the police force started to make casts of the prints in the area, "… They are in charge of comparing them against anyone who might have had access, right?"

"Well I'm not doing it…. Where are the horses by the way?"

"Being processed I think. Ezio and Connor took charge of that, you know how they are with animals."

"Better them than me."

…

"Howard Rookwood is… was one of my best friends."

"And business partner, correct?" Evie questioned, resisting the urge to neaten her hair. She had gotten out of bed less than an hour ago, woken by Haytham who had put her in charge of questioning everyone that Rookwood knew.

"Yes… going on twenty years now. We were fraternity brothers… fraternity brothers who wanted to take on the world." The man then sighed wearily, "Of course, I don't think either of us thought it would be the world of glue."

Hmmm… a tone of bitterness there?

"When was the last time you saw Mister Rookwood?"

"Last night… at the anniversary fundraiser. I believe I saw you there?"

He hadn't made the connection with her last name then.

"I was yes, for a short time… did you notice anything unusual Sir?"

"Not that i- wait…. There was one odd thing. Rookwood and Baker seemed to… they seemed to have an argument."

"An argument? What about?"

"… I don't know."

….

"Yes, me and Howard had words…." Mister Baker confirmed, "… It's a bit of an overstatement though."

Watching as several young girls rushed by, Evie shrugged, "Even so, I need to know what the argument was about Mister Baker."

"… Howard wanted to change the architectural drawings of the new dormitory wing… again."

"You didn't appreciate that I assume?"

"He was such a perfectionist, and it was last minute… of course, we'll adhere to his wishes now. In fact, we'll be naming the wing after him."

"Like a memorial?"

"He deserved it, he was a self-made man…. I think it helped him to see the potential in the children, no matter what their backgrounds were."

Evie nodded in understanding, glancing at a group of children playing nearby, recognising one or two of them from the older Creed families. "Can you think of anyone who might want to harm Mister Rookwood?"

"Miss Frye…" Mister Baker gave him a slightly admonishing look, "… I doubt you'll find anyone who can even speak ill of him."

"Alright… has there been anything… troubling in his life lately?"

"Well… I understand there were some problems back at home."

….

"She's doing so well… trying to be brave."

Ezio turned away from the window, where he was watching Rookwood's daughters wandering around in the garden. Knowing that Evie was exhausted from the previous night, both physically and mentally, Ezio volunteered to talk to the victims' family.

Woman generally tended to tell him everything.

"I'm very sorry for your loss Mrs Rookwood."

"It's all just… very difficult to comprehend."

Ezio nodded in sympathy, before sitting himself opposite Mrs Rookwood, thinking back to what Evie had told him about her conversations with the other two. "Mister Baker has stated that there had been some problems at home… a mad employee he believed."

"Oh… he must be referring to Mister Gorman."

"Mister Gorman?"

"Miles Gorman. He was Howards's valet." She shook her head, her eyes focused on an old family photo, "He was very full of himself if you ask me."

"So, he was let go?"

"Yes… it all started about six months ago. Small things started to go missing… the fine silver, little vases… that sort of thing. I suspected Gorman from the beginning, so I asked Howard to fire him."

It all sounded a bit rushed and presumptive to Ezio, but he decided not to comment. "And, how did Mister Gorman take that?"

"Poorly… very poorly."

…..

After making sure he had all the answers, and that Mrs Rookwood was alright, Ezio headed out of the house, his eyes quickly falling on Howard's daughter, who was sitting on the bench outside.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your Father."

She barely glanced up at him, "He's really gone… isn't he?"

Slowly, he went to kneel opposite her. "I promise… the Creed will find out who did this." At her silence, he cautiously continued, "I've lost people close to me as well…" His mind instantly filled with memories of his brothers, killed by Templars so long ago, "… you only have to say goodbye when you're ready to."

….

"Finding the murder weapon was easy enough…" Arno reported, holding up a spade as he and the rest of the team gathered in the conference room for a debrief, "… unfortunately, any fingerprints that are on it are too smudged to be of any use."

"Where was it?"

"In an alley near the glue factory…" Edward stated, "… look at the metal bit, there's clearly blood on it."

Leaning in, Connor gave the spade a cursory sniff (with the other members wincing slightly). "Yes… it's blood alright."

"Why can't you use Eagle Vision… or a magnifying glass like everyone else?" Edward groaned, pulling out the tool in question, "Look… there's hairs on it as well. Did your nose smell them as well?"

"Alright, enough…" Henry interrupted before Connor could retort, "… Arno, Edward. You've been placed in charge of this investigation…. What's the next stage?"

"Ummmmm…"

"We will need to find Rookwood's old valet, Miles Gorman…" Evie spoke up, taking pity on the two men who'd obviously worked hard, but on the site, not with the witnesses, "… and do we need to contact Freddie for anything?"

"Yes!" Arno leapt at the chance, "Something should go and see how they're doing with the shoe prints. Connor, maybe?"

Connor nodded in agreement, as Arno turned to Ezio. "I think Leo went to help with the autopsy… maybe you should check in with him… and take the murder weapon?"

"Inteso."

…..

"Well, the back of the shovel is consistent with the head wound…" Leo confirmed, holding the shovel near the body's head, "… but judging from the size and shape of the fractured area, I'd say it came from an over-head swing."

"… How tall is Rookwood?"

"Six feet, one inch."

Ezio thought to himself for a moment, mimicking the over-head swing slowly, before shaking his head. "If he was hit from behind, with an overhead swing… then why is the wound so low on the back of his head?"

"I was wondering exactly the same thing."

"… Is that why you have all those watermelons over there?"

"You know me so well."

…

They went through several watermelons, with a homemade contraption that stood at Rookwood's exact height, with the watermelon as the head. With each watermelon, Ezio got lower and lower until the mark from the spare spade matched the wound on Rookwood's head perfectly.

"Perfezionare!" Leo announced, marching through the broken bits of watermelon, "That matches the wound perfectly!"

"Il mio amore… my legs are starting to ache."

"Don't move!"

"Quickly Leo!"

Leo paused, and turned to face him, one eyebrow raised. "Don't tell me your training never prepared you for this?"

"…. I'm eager to know more about our killer, time is of the essence. I could hold this position for ever."

Leo grabbed the measuring tape, moving to stand by Ezio… and waited.

"Alright…" Ezio eventually confessed, "…. Maybe hours is a bit of a stretch."

Chuckling, Leo quickly measured his boyfriend, before pulling away. "Sixty-four inches."

"… About five feet, three inches?"

"Hmmm, the killer is on the short side."

"Si…. Just a bit."

….

"Don't even ask about the shoeprints…" Freddie spoke up, before Connor could even say anything, "… the soil isn't right for them. Three prints have been ruined already."

"I've got one Sir!"

"Finally!" Freddie threw his hands up into the air, "My Police force isn't completely incompetent!"

Once the print imprint had been removed, Connor took it and examined it closely. "Hmmm… notice how the heel is deeper than the toe… someone with a limp."

"… Except that we have four unaccounted sets that look exactly like that."

Connor frowned, "Four?"

Nodding, Freddie pulled out his phone. "Hmmm…. According to Leo and Ezio, the killer stand at about five feet three."

"You have a theory, Freddie?"

"… What if we're dealing with children?"


	3. Chapter 3

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

…

"Children?" Vex chuckled and shook his head, "I mean, I can understand assassin children attacking the assassin families who didn't take them in… but I thought Rookwood was one of those 'help the needy' type?"

Ignoring him (and wondering who invited the club owner to this meeting), Evie turned to Freddie and frowned, "What made you think about children Freddie? These are adult prints, you can't deny that."

"Actually…" Vex spoke up again, "… Some street kids where hand-me-downs, shows that don't fit them. All they do is stuff socks in the front for make them fit."

"Which is why there is more weight in the heel…" Connor concluding, nodding in agreement, "… the children theory is making sense."

"And we did find a child size boot impression." Freddie held up the plaster print, "It would account for the height and the prints."

Evie was silent for a time, before sighing wearily. "Okay… so who would these children be?"

"We saw some children at the crime scene, at the glue factory." Edward spoke up, "Someone should go and round them up. Someone with… maternal instincts."

"So… not Evie then?" Vex stated, before laughing manically… only to stop as all the assassins turned to him.

"…. Shit."

…..

"Alright! Listen up!" Vex ordered as he and Kenzi made their way over to the small group of children by the glue factory, "Names' Vex, this is Kenzi… we'd like to ask you a few questions." He glanced around, trying not to smirk as the oldest gave him his best 'intimidating' look, "You boys hang around here often?"

Silence.

"C'mon brats, someone was murdered here last night. Someone must have seen something… you kids' always have your eyes open."

More silence.

"Alright, did you go near the body? Poke it with a stick maybe?"

"We weren't there… Sir." The oldest sneered, smirking as the rest of his little gang giggled behind him.

"Really?" Vex smirked, "Because the Creed, you know the people who kill people for a living, have proof that you were there, through your shoe-prints. So wise-guy… how did they get there without you in them?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before the oldest suddenly cried out "RUN!"

They scattered like rats in a kitchen, forcing Vex and Kenzi to race in different directions.

For a time, it was easy for Vex to keep up with the oldest, leaping over fences and small walls just as effectively as the child… until the child spotted a small grate.

"No, no, no!" Vex cursed, watching the child wriggle into the too-small hole, before kicking the wall, "Dammit!"

When he headed back to the factory, Kenzi was already waiting for him, clutching her hand. "One of the bastards bit me!" she growled, "I almost had him as well."

"I get the feeling the killer just slipped by."

"Yeah… and punctured one of the tires on the car as they went."

Vex glanced over at his car, noticing how it seemed to lean to one side, "Oh for FUCKS SAKE!"

…..

"Let me get this straight…."

Vex didn't even bother looking up at Freddie's exclamation, focusing on sketching out the image of the oldest child.

"…. You found the suspects. You couldn't get them to talk. One of them bit Kenzi, which I recommend shots for. Punctured the tire of one of your expensive cars, and then got away!"

"To be fair… I never wanted that particular assignment. It was thrust upon me, so I won't be blamed for my performance."

"Your shit performance!"

Vex glanced up, wincing at the look on Freddie's face, "I think I can probably identify the ringleader?"

"It's a start… anything else?"

"Clear Assassin training."

Freddie frowned, "But… he was only a kid?"

Vex rolled his eyes, "If you really think Assassin training starts when they're teens or something, you're more naïve than I thought."

"Alright… so you think the kid's from the home?"

"Probably."

Freddie through his hands up into the air, "Great, as if we didn't already have enough to think about." He then glanced at the picture that Vex was sketching and gestured at it, "That the kid… You can see the glint of trouble in his eyes."

"…. I feel like that's a compliment on my art skills."

"Don't get too cocky…. I'll send Evie and Ezio to see if anyone knows him."

…..

"Sorry Miss Frye, but I don't recognise him… they all kind of look the same to me anyway."

Ezio frowned, "Really? They said that they hang around here a lot."

Mister Watt, their first witness shrugged, "And? It was Howard who spent the most time there. If anyone was going to know who they are, it was him."

"Could there be anyone else who might see them often enough?" Evie asked, "A security guard maybe? Other employees?"

"They all had jobs to be doing… not paying attention to children." Mister Watt glanced at the picture again, "Do you think this kid had something to do with Howard's death?"

"… It's likely."

Mister Watt sneered, "Little bastards… after everything Howard did for them. Giving them a home when your Creed wouldn't!"

The comment about the Creed made the pair tense, but they chose not to say anything.

"Do you have any idea where we can find these children?" Evie asked, resisting the urge to glare at the man.

"… You should probably speak to Calvin Baker."

…

"No… I don't recognise him."

Ezio and Evie glanced at one another, frowning as they turned their attention back to Mister Baker.

"You barely looked at it…" Evie stated bluntly, not one for mincing words.

"… So many children pass through these doors Miss Frye." Baker rolled his eyes. "And I'm in the middle of organising another important fundraiser. So much more happened than one days of bombs you know."

Evie immediately tensed… she knew exactly what Baker was referring to. "I remember…" she practically hissed, "… And I apologise if Mister Rookwood's murder is interrupting your schedule."

Looking a little bit ashamed, Mister Baker glanced at her, before taking the picture and looking at it properly this time around. "No, I'm sorry…" he eventually apologised, "… I'll ask the staff though, maybe they'll remember him. May I keep this?"

"Of course…" Ezio placed a calming hand on Evie's shoulder, "… have a good day Sir."

As they left the building, Evie was clearly about to rant and rave about people making money off of her brother's misfortune, until Ezio's phone beeped and he pulled it out. "We have Mister Gorman's address…" he stated, "… Edward and Arno said they're heading there right now."

"Hopefully they'll have more luck."

…

"Nice…" Arno muttered, as they made their way through the pee-smelling corridors, "… very classy."

"Just because you grew up in the lap of luxury…." Edward muttered, leaving the sentence unfinished as he knocked on the door of Mister Gorman."

There was the sound of frantic movement within the apartment, but none of it indicated that the man was coming to the door.

"Well…" Edward raised his voice deliberately, "… looks like he isn't home."

"Non, we'll have to try again later."

Together, they pretended they were walking away, before stealthily gripping the doorframe and moving up off the ground, eyes firmly focused on the doorways.

Less than a minute later, the door unlocked, and a small man peeked his head out, only to yelp when Edward leapt down and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him out into the corridor. "Miles… you shouldn't try and hide from Assassins Now… a word?"

…

"It stinks in here!"

Freddie rolled his eyes as he entered the interrogation room, "You'll survive, I'm sure."

"I'm going to catch something!"

"You catch far worse when I throw you into the drunk tank for not cooperating…. Now, your former Employer, Howard Rookwood has just been murdered."

"Shame."

He didn't sound disappointed.

"Where were you last night?"

Gorman glanced up at him, before shrugging. "I was at the opera… Roth was putting on a bit of a show, and then I went to the local pub for a ginger beer."

"Bit of an expensive life for an unemployed valet?"

"… I saved a few pennies here and there for the finer things in life."

Freddie smirked at the obvious lie, "You were Mister Rookwood's valet for four years?"

"A superior one, if I say so myself."

"Superior?" Freddie raised an eyebrow, "What is superior for a valet?"

"A skilled valet is always there for his employer, conducting himself with civility, morality and decency."

"Right… and which one were you lacking?"

"Excuse me?"

"When you were fired for being a thief… which were you were lacking? Civility, morality or decency?"

"Those accusations were false!"

"Valuable items did go missing?"

"W-well, yes!"

"And how would you explain that?"

"There was a kid lingering about!" Gorman groaned, "Boy, I think, it's hard to tell these days."

This immediately peeked Freddie's curiosity…. They were looking out for a boy as the main suspect. "A boy?"

"Yeah…. I've spotted him hanging around the manor a few times, but he'd always get away before I could catch him."

…..

"So, we're back to the boy?" Edward frowned.

Freddie nodded, "Seems so… Gorman's prints don't match any of the ones found at the scene…. Although he could have gotten rid of the shoes."

"So… Gorman's spotted a child matching Vex's description hanging around Rookwood's manor?"

"I don't buy it…" Evie shook her head, "… he was fired by Rookwood, so he's not an impartial witness."

Ezio piped up, "He was only suspected of theft, and that's why he was fired… I think Gorman is innocent."

"But then our only suspect is the kid, and how does a kid go from theft to murder?"

After Evie's statement, everyone frowned, thinking over the question in their minds… it didn't make sense.

"Alright…" Arno spoke up, "…. Ezio, can you head back to the manor and see if anyone else has seen the kid. I'm with Evie… I can't believe a child was responsible for this."


	4. Chapter 4

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

…

"And you say this… boy has been seen near the house?"

Ezio nodded as the wife examined the sketch closely, her eyes scanning over every detail as her daughter shuffled from side to side beside her.

"Yes… Mister Gorman recognised him from the picture."

"Hardly a reliable witness."

She was right about that, Ezio had to acknowledge this…. But the strange behaviour of the children when Vex cornered them made him suspicious. "I understand your concerns signora, but we do need to know if you recognise him."

Mrs Rookwood was sceptical but turned her attention back to the picture and focused on it a little longer. "Oh that's… that's Clara, I'm sure of it!"

"I'm sorry…" Ezio frowned in recognition at the name, "… did you say Clara?"

"Yes…" the daughter nodded in agreement, "… Clara O'Dea. The daughter of one of our maids… and possibly my sister as well."

"I thought you said a boy was the suspect?" Mrs Rookwood didn't seem pleased at the remainder of her husband's possible infidelity, "Do you really think Clara had something to do with Howard's death?!"

Ezio thought back on his vague memories of the little girl and sighed wearily, "Possibly… but we believe it's more likely that she had something to do with the robberies."

"There must be some mistake!" Miss Rookwood protested, "It can't be Clara! It just can't be!"

She pushed past Ezio and stormed out of the room as her mother shot to her feet.

"Eva!"

When Ezio tried to stop her, she pushed his hand away. "I have to see her! I have to- "

"- Mi dispiace, but I still have some questions to ask."

Mrs Rookwood paused for a moment, before slowly taking her seat again.

"Clara is your husband's daughter…. Is there anyone else who knows about this?"

"No-one… it was kept a complete secret from everyone." She turned away, glaring at the portrait of her husband on the wall, "He didn't want his perfect reputation to be ruined, so he left Clara with her Mother… who he eventually fired after- "

When she paused, Ezio found himself finishing the sentence. "- After the bombings. After Jacob left the Creed."

"Then you heard the rumours… that Clara was being trained by that-that boy?"

Ezio remained calm, despite taking offense at the woman's tone in reference to his friend. "I recognise the name, yes."

"So, you understand why we didn't tell anyone."

….

"Everyone wanted to forget about her." Eva sighed later on, after Ezio had finished questioning the Mother and decided talking to the daughter might give him more information, "I think it was just easier for them."

"When was the last time you saw Clara?"

"…. Not since Dad fired her Mother. I-I think she was given to the Baker house not long afterwards." Eva glanced away for a brief moment, before shaking her head, "… I loved Clara… she was my sister, I didn't care if we didn't share a mother. We didn't even get to say goodbye, before she and her mother were kicked out."

Ezio nodded in sympathy, knowing the feeling of not being able to say goodbye to someone before they were taken away… or left. "And… you haven't seen Clara since?"

"No… if she was really here, why wouldn't she come and see me?!"

Ezio didn't have an answer for that.

…..

"Clara…" Ezio began, "… the child is Clara. Clearly she's been dressing up as a boy to blend in."

Arno and Edward, who had gone to collect Ezio, stopped in their tracks and frowned in recognition.

"As in… Clara, the kid that Jacob was training?"

"Exactly!"

Arno and Edward glanced at one another, before wincing. "She was good…" Arno muttered, "… I know Jacob didn't teach her anything about actual assassinations… but she could match him in escaping from a tough situation."

The others nodded in agreement, remaining silent for a brief time. Ezio suddenly started to chuckle, "Remember when Jacob first told us he was training her… how she used to look up to him?"

"Oh God…." Edward groaned in remembrance, a smirk on his face, "… she idolised him."

*******Flashback*******

"You running a nursery now Jacob?!"

"You still trying to grow that beard Edward?"

As everyone else laughed at the retort, Jacob pushed himself to his feet and grinned at them, the small girl by his side straightening up and tilting her head in confusion.

"So, who is she?"

"She is standing right here…" the girl muttered petulantly, "… and my name's Clara."

The others all glanced at one another, before turning to Jacob and giving him confused looks. "Ummm Jacob…" Edward began, "… what are you doing?"

"…. Training her."

"But…. She's not from one of the Assassin families… is she?"

Jacob winced and shuffled from side to side, "Well… no. But you should see her scamper up these walls, she's a natural!"

Whilst beaming at the praise, Clara gave the other group a smug look, bouncing up and down eagerly as Jacob turned to her and pointed to the top of the nearby building.

"Up Clara."

"I'm not a bloody dog!" she growled at him, rushing in that direction anyway, clambering up the brick wall and clutching onto windowsills as she whooped in glee.

"She's going to be great…" Jacob muttered to himself, "… one of the best the Creed has ever seen."

*******End Flashback********

"We didn't even check on her after everything with the bombings…" Ezio sighed wearily, "… and to know that she and her mother were cast out into the streets afterwards, just because of her association with Jacob."

"Let's face it guys…" Edward groaned, "…. After the bombings everyone just wanted to forget about Jacob and their mistake. And the Creed did encourage it slightly… and now look what's happened."

"We don't know Clara was responsible…. I really doubt she was, now that we know who she is." Ezio sighed wearily, "We need more information… quickly if possible."

…

"Clara stayed at the Baker House for girls, for about eighteen months after her mother dropped her off…" Evie reported, looking no happier than she had when she first heard the news, "… There are reports of her hopping from family to family, remaining in school up until six months ago."

"Around the time that the robberies started… a bit too coincidental really."

The rest of the team was silent… it was looking like Clara might be their top suspect.

And then Edward suddenly shot to his feet, a look of triumph on his face. "We need to get back to the scene! Now! And bring the shoe print cast set!"

"The police have already taken casts of all the prints!"

"Not all of them!"


	5. Chapter 5

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

….

"A horseshoe print…." Freddie rolled his eyes at Edward, "… All that does is prove that there were horses at the scene, which we already know!"

Edward smirked, "They're wearing horseshoes…. horses destined for the glue factory are usually already dead, kinder that way and everything. I don't know why we didn't see it before…. There were live horses at the scene, wearing very nice horseshoes judging by the prints."

"Healthy horses shouldn't be there… alright I see your point. Something's going on at the glue factory, but what's it got to do with this case?"

Edward shrugged, "Dunno… but I intend to find out."

…..

"Several shoed horses were sent to your rendering plants…" Edward glanced over at Mister Watt, allowing himself a small smirk as the man flinched.

"W-well, there must be a mistake!"

"Why would a glue factory be killing perfectly healthy horses? I'm sure restrictions only allow you to use dead horses." Edward shook his head, "Is it because you were buying stolen horses for virtually nothing?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Did you steal the horses yourself? Or maybe, you asked others to steal them for you? Street children maybe?"

Mister Watt shot to his feet, "I think this interview is over… unless I'm under arrest?"

"No, but consider this…." Edward moved to block Mister Watt from leaving, "… last year, a man in the town one over was caught stealing horses. All he would have got is a minor prison sentence, but his neighbours got to him first…. Last I heard, he's still in intensive care."

There was a brief pause, before Mister Watt sighed wearily, "It was Howard's idea to use street children."

"Clara O'Dea… I know you recognise the name. Where can I find her?"

"I don't know… like I said, Howard was the one who dealt with them." Mister Watt shook his head, "I never thought it would end like this…. Ever."

….

"Alright…" Arno clapped his hands together, "… I think I've thought of the perfect attack plan

Vex, who had just walked into the room (actually invited this time), smirked. "Oh, this ought to be good. Dare I ask what the attack plan is about?"

Arno ignored him and continued, "There have been sixteen reported horse thefts in the surrounding areas- "

"- Horse thefts? What the hell have you guys been focusing on?"

"- all within the last five months. And, they've been stolen from farms that are under 2 miles away from wooded roads, that lead to the glue factory. Now, I've managed to figure out that they strike every tenth night… and tonight is the tenth night since the last horse theft. Now, there are only two other farms on the outskirts of town, here…" he pointed at a spot on the map, "… and here."

He turned to face the others, "Now, I think we should have two separate teams stake out these two locations, and when the kids come to stela the horses, we catch them in the act!"

There was a brief moment of silence, before Evie sighed, "We only think something might happen… nothing is for certain Arno."

"So, you work on what you already know."

Everyone turned to look at Vex, who was twiddling a pencil in his fingers, "You already know that the stolen horses end up at the glue factory… why not wait for the kids there?"

"Oh…. Yeah." Arno glanced at the map, "… that would probably work a little better. New plan, we all have different stake-out points around the glue factory. Somebody is bound to see something."

…..

"You're balancing really well?"

Vex twisted around to face Conner, "Huh?"

"We're in a tree…. You're balanced on a thin branch perfectly…. I was just wondering how you're doing that?"

Vex glanced down, before shrugging. "Exciting childhood…." He shuffled uncomfortably from side to side, "… God I hate stake outs."

"Hmmm, hopefully Clara will make an appearance soon."

"Clara?"

Quickly realising that Vex hadn't been brought up to speed on the identity of the child who'd gotten away from him.

"Yes… Clara O'Dea. She used to know Jacob… he was training her before everything- before everything happened."

"… You think she's behind all this? The murder, everything?"

"We don't know…. We hope not, but with this case, I think anything's possible."

Vex was silent for a short time, before shaking his head. "I hope she has nothing to do with it."

"Hmmmm?"

"…. I don't think this community needs another negative thing associated with your friend."

Connor frowned, "I never thought about it like that… you were very harsh on the children earlier, has Clara changed your mind that much?"

"I had a chance to think about it…. No matter how prosperous this town is, many children live in poverty. And for the children of Assassins, you have to admit that the change in lifestyles must be confusing. The Creed gave up on them, and they were just expected to adjust!"

"We didn't have enough people willing to take care of them!"

"That isn't their fault!"

Connor was silent for a time, before sighing and nodding wearily, "You're right… the Creed should have tried harder."

Silence filled the air for a moment, before Connor suddenly tensed, "Look…. Think that's them?"

Glancing at the stables, it was easy to see a small group of children leading several horses into the area.

"I think the one at the front is Clara…" Connor decided, before turning to Vex, "… she might respond better to someone who didn't know Jacob. I'll go after the others, you go after her…and don't let her get away this time!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

…

Silently, Vex followed the pre-teen through the streets of the town, sticking to the shadows and keeping his footsteps light as he watched her head toward the murdered man's house. Watching from the bushes, he frowned as Howard's daughter came rushing over to Clara, a large sack in her hands.

"What did you bring?" he heard Clara ask.

Vex didn't hear the other girl's reply, but judging by the rattling in the bag, whatever was in there was probably very expensive.

It seems they found their thief.

"Well, well, well…." He emerged from the shadows and smirked at their shock and surprise, "… look what I found."

…

Keeping the pair where they were was easy, and within seconds the Assassins were there and taking the two children into custody.

"Okay…" Arno walked into the room, a slight sad look on his face, "… I've compared Clara's shoes to the prints we got from the crime scene… and they're a match."

Ezio groaned under his breath, "So she was definitely at the crime scene, and Eva lied to me about when she last saw Clara."

"Clearly they were robbing the home…" Evie spoke up, writing 'solved' next to the 'robbery at Rookwood home', "… but why kill Mister Rookwood?"

"If she killed Mister Rookwood."

"That's what we're hoping to find out…" Ezio ignored Vex's protest and gestured at the interrogation room, "… Freddie's talking to her right now."

…

"I want to speak to Eva!"

Freddie paused as he entered the room, desperately trying not to think about all the times he saw her and Jacob together. "Sorry…" he finally managed to blurt out, "… but you're going to have to speak to me first. Did you kill Mister Rookwood?"

"No!"

"Your footprints were found all around his body…" Freddie started gently, "… that's already been proven."

"I don't know how they got there!"

"Here's what we think happened… you went to rob him, or only confront him… he got defensive, you hit him on the back of the head, he falls to the ground and then you make a run for it."

"That's not how it happened!"

Aha! Got her!

"So, how did it happen?"

Clara was silent for a few seconds, before sighing, "Me and the boys were bringing another horse back… Rookwood was just lying on the ground, we thought he was black-out drunk, so we… examined the body."

Aka… they tried to see what they could steal.

"Was Eva involved?"

"No."

That was too quick.

"Really?" Freddie raised an eyebrow, "Because we know she was stealing from her family and giving the proceeds to you. Vex can confirm this."

Clara was silent.

"I remember you, you know?" Freddie tried to change the subject, "You were friends with Jacob and- "

"- and you were his boyfriend, I know." Clara folded her arms, her eyes focused on the floor as tears started to build in them, "I wish he'd taken me with him… I never believed he'd done all those things."

"I know… what happened after you and your Mother were cast out of the Rookwood home?"

"…. Mum dropped me off at Baker house, said she couldn't take care of me anymore." Clara looked very vulnerable in this moment, "My first family was on a farm outside of town…. They made me do all the chores and I couldn't sleep in the house… I had to sleep in the barn, it was horrible! They were all like that, so I left! Decided to try and find Eva."

"How did you get involved with the glue factory?"

"I heard about it on the streets… quick way to make some money. They asked a bunch of us to steal some live horse, because not enough dead horses were being donated, and that was that." Clara shrugged, "Eva was the daughter of Rookwood, and we were friends once upon a time, so she'd bring me food from the house…. And then she started bringing me other stuff."

Freddie sighed wearily…. He knew Clara wasn't a bad person, but none of this was helping her case. "Clara… a man got fired because of that."

"I know it's wrong, but I need the money… so Eva would take little things from the house and give them to me to pawn. And then she would take some of the money for herself."

"Eva Rookwood wants for nothing, she is from one of the richest families outside of the Creed, why would she want money?"

"…. She wanted to run away from Mister Rookwood." Clara was definitely crying now, "He was hurting her."

"Hurting her? How?"

"… She wouldn't tell me, but it sounded bad… really bad."


	6. Chapter 6

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

….

"You have to tell us the truth Eva, because it's not looking good for Clara…" Evie sighed, having been told Clara's side of the story by Freddie, and the accusation of abuse, "…we believe he killed your Father."

"That man wasn't my Father… a Father wouldn't…" Eva took a deep breath, "… he wouldn't- "

"- take your time Eva. It's all okay."

Eva glanced up at her, before nodding shakily, "At first, it was just how he spoke to me… he used to tell me I was being stupid… just a silly little girl who didn't know what she was talking about… and then it got worse… he would start hitting me."

When the girl fell silent, Evie knelt down in front of her and sighed sadly, "I know you may not want to hear this… but if I were Clara, I would have killed that man. You two are practically sisters."

"Clara wanted to… she said Jacob would approve… But I wouldn't let her, and she wouldn't do anything that I didn't want her to do, you have to believe me!"

Jacob would have approved… he always hated child beaters and often took on cases that dealt with them.

Feeling a pang of sadness, Evie got to her feet and sighed wearily, "Thank you Eva… I'll send someone in with some drinks and food should you wish."

…

"How could a mother let that go on?" Connor exclaimed, once they were all brought up to date on the recent events.

"Maybe she didn't know?" Edward protested.

"No-one can be that naïve!"

"Well, maybe she was too scared to do anything?!"

Arno then decided to pipe up, "Maybe she was in on it? Or maybe she just didn't do anything?"

Silence.

They all knew it was a possibility.

Eventually Kenzi broke the silence. "What the fuck is going on in that house?"

"I don't know…" Ezio muttered, "… but I intend to find out."

…..

"Eva!" Mrs Rookwood exclaimed in relief, "Oh thank God, are you alright darling?"

Ezio hung behind slightly, watching as Eva remained tense, not returning the hug at all…. Which clearly worried Mrs Rookwood.

"Eva, what's wrong? Did they do something to you?"

"… I'd like to go to my room."

"Eva- "

"- please."

Without another word, Eva raced away, pushing past Ezio in her rush.

"What did you do to her?!" Mrs Rookwood snarled at Ezio, all politeness gone from her face.

"We didn't do anything to her."

"How dare you treat my daughter like a common criminal!"

"Your daughter has been stealing from your home, like a common criminal." Ezio retorted, not enjoying how her face fell…. Alright, maybe he enjoyed it a little.

"Impossible! She would never- "

"- Theft, however, is the least of my worries right now." He interrupted, watching as she tensed slightly.

"…. What are you talking about?"

"Eva has… accused your husband of something very serious."

"What… sort of accusations?"

Oh yeah…. She knew something.

"She claims he would beat her."

"T-that is a monstrous thing to say about my husband!"

"So, your daughter is a liar as well as a thief now?"

"How dare you!" Mrs Rookwood snarled in anger, raising her hand and moving to strike Ezio, only to have her wrist grabbed harshly as the assassin glared at her.

But he had to remain calm.

"Signora Rookwood… please tell me the truth."

She was silent, pulling her wrist free and glaring at Ezio, who simply sighed.

"Then you leave no other choice, but to find it myself…. Buonasera."

He made his way out of the room, instantly spotting Vex lounging on one of the antique chairs, his usual mask on and a smug look on his face.

"Go on then…" Ezio sighed loudly, "… what have you found?"

"And people say club owners are worth nothing… my name means so much, that the President of the Bank came out to speak to me." Vex smirked and handed a file over to the Assassin, "I hope this is what you're looking for? I wasn't easy to get it you know."

Ezio took the file and scanned over the words inside, a small smile appearing on his face. "Si… this is it exactly."

"So, I'll be seeing you tonight?"

"Si…. Tonight."

…..

Mister Gorman seemed stunned to see Ezio and Edward seating themselves at his booth, the violin music and the eager tapping of feet echoing throughout the club.

"Steak and fine wine…" Edward smirked, "… how fancy of Vex."

Gorman tried to play it cool, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, acting like he had no idea why they were here.

Silently, Ezio pulled a piece of paper out of the file and pushed it towards the man, who glanced at it and shrugged.

"A bank statement?"

"Howard Rookwood's bank statements."

"… Your point?"

"Howard Rookwood had been sending five hundred pounds a month to, oh look at this…" Edward pretended to be surprised, "… you, Mister Gorman. Looks like a standard case of blackmail to me, especially with the lifestyle you're leading."

"What are you- "

"- You knew what he was doing to his daughter, didn't you?!"

Gorman shrugged, "Yeah, so."

Before he could react, a hand darted out, grabbing him by the neck and pinning him to the table. "So?" Edward snarled in his ear, "What do you mean so?"

"You know what I mean!" Gorman yelped, "You can't say it doesn't happen in the Creed? Masters being a little bit too rough with the people he was in charge of! Wasn't that the real reason behind the Frye brat leaving? Because Daddy used to get a little rough with h-ARGH!"

Edward had to calm down… he knew that… but to this waste of space babble on about things that he didn't understand… it was starting to make his blood boil.

"So, you admit to blackmailing him then?" Ezio asked, acting like nothing was happening as he took a sip of the wine.

"Yes!" Edward allowed Gorman to pull away, smirking as the man glared at him, "But let me give you a little tip about blackmailing…. You've gotta have something truly damaging on your victim in order to make him pay…. check the death records for that family, and you'll see what I mean. Howard never liked it when his children talked back."

"Explain…. Now!"

…..

"You were right…" Leonardo announced as the assassins made their way into his lab, Freddie by his side, "… the Rookwoods did have another daughter, who died when Eva was just a little girl…. Polly Rookwood."

"Really?" Ezio frowned, "I hoped Gorman was just bluffing…. What happened to her?"

At this, Freddie sighed. "She was fourteen and she was said to have fallen down the stairs, leading to a broken neck."

"How convenient."

"Hmmm, bruising to the temporal lobe, on her thighs, her back…"

"Gorman indicated that Howard suffocated her… any signs of that?"

Leo glanced over the autopsy report, before his finger tapped at something on the paper, "Here. Petechial haemorrhage in the eye…. That fits in with suffocation."

"So…. Howard Rookwood was beating his first daughter and kills her in a fit of rage, making it seem like she fell down the stairs." Arno shook his head in dismay, "And then he started on his second daughter?"

"Do you think this is related to Howard's death?"

The Assassin team were silent for a time, before Edward spoke up. "I think so…. Gorman wouldn't have done it, why kill your blackmail victim? I think we can probably rule the children out, so that only leaves…."

Edward stopped, his eyes widening in realisation.

"Oh…. My…. God."


	7. Chapter 7

Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

….

"You knew what Howard was doing to Eva."

Mrs Rookwood didn't look him in the eye, staring at the interrogation table firmly. "Howard loved Eva." She eventually whispered.

"And your first daughter? Did he love her as well?"

Her eyes shot up to meet Edward's, wide in shock, before she lowered them again. "I don't see what she has to do with this."

"You know he killed her, didn't you?"

"No!"

"And you were worried that he was going to do the same thing to Eva."

"T-this is ridiculous!"

Edward was silent for a few moments, before sighing wearily, "Alright…" he muttered. Reaching down to his side and picking up a boot and some paper, "… do you recognise this? You should, it was found by an officer in your garden shed. And this…" he gestured to the cast, "… is a shoe print taken from the scene."

Silently, Mrs Rookwood watched as Edward placed the boot into the cast…. It was a perfect match.

"You were there that night… you killed your husband."

"…. The police said Polly's death was an accident." Mrs Rookwood mumbled.

"But… you knew something wasn't quite right."

She nodded, tears starting to stream down her cheeks as a chocked sob burst free. "I-I suspected."

"… What happened after the fundraiser?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before Mrs Rookwood sighed wearily. "Howard took his back to the house… he wanted to say goodnight to Eva before he went to work, and he told me to go to bed."

"But you didn't."

She shook her head, a sneer on her face. "I saw how he looked at her…. So, I waited, and I followed him." She shuddered, "I saw him hit her, heard her cry out…. I wasn't going to let him kill another one of my babies."

"So, you followed him to the factory?"

She nodded weakly, tears starting to build up once again, "I didn't have a plan, I just knew that I had to stop him! I saw the shovel and everything else seemed to make sense…. Truth be told, I've never felt better in my life!"

…..

As Mrs Rookwood was escorted into the local police station, ready to be formally charged and arrested for the murder of her husband, Eva Rookwood was there waiting for her.

"Eva…" Mrs Rookwood whispered, the dried tear tracks still on her face, "… Eva, I'm so sorry. I should have left, we should have left before he every had the chance to touch you. Please… please, you have to forgive me!"

Eva was silent for a few seconds, "You… you did it to protect me, didn't you?" When Mrs Rookwood nodded, Eva smiled at her, "That's what mothers do for their children."

"Yes…" Mrs Rookwood leaned in to hug her daughter, before she was pulled away by the officers, "… Yes, it is."

After Mrs Rookwood was taken out of sight, Eva stared at the wall for a few moments…. Before sighing sadly and moving away, shielding her face from others as tears made their way down her cheeks.

…

"Freddie!" Vex beamed as she strode into Freddie's office, "So what I can for you on this fine day?"

Though he hated to admit it, Freddie couldn't help but smile at the arrival of the club owner, pushing himself to his feet and gesturing for Vex to follow him. They made their way out of the back entrance that led into a back alleyway…. Where a familiar looking car sat.

"My car!" Vex exclaimed, only to wince at the sight of it, "My poor car!"

The sides were lined with scratches, the side mirrors were smashed, and the windshield was severely cracked… clearly someone had had some fun with it.

"This was my third favourite car." He eventually pouted, "I can't believe I ever agreed to Kenzi's request."

"Request?"

Vex jumped slightly, shifting from side to side nervously as he winced, "Didn't I mention? Kenzi's the new guardian of Clara…. She is now the assistant, assistant manager."

"What the fu- "

"- What's going to happen to Mrs Rookwood?"

The change of conversation was obvious, but Freddie rolled his eyes and dropped the subject matter anyway. "I think the courts will see that she acted in the interest of her daughter… in fact, I plan on testifying to that fact."

Vex just stared at Freddie for a few moments, before a soft smile appeared on his face. "You're a good man Sergeant Abberline. A really good man."

Flushing slightly, Freddie turned away for a few moments as an awkward silence fell over the room.

"I'll see you later Freddie…" Vex eventually muttered, a tinge of sadness in his voice, before there was the sound of the door opening and closing again.

He should have regretted leaving Vex hanging like that…. But it felt like a betrayal to Jacob. What if the assassin came back one day and found Freddie dating the club owner…. What if Freddie felt like he had to choose between them?

It didn't bear thinking about.

Trying to turn his thoughts away from Vex and the heart-broken tone in the man's face, Freddie focused on the night ahead and the secondary fund-raising event that was due to happen.

He had a job to do.

…..

"Ah, Miss Frye, I was hoping to speak to you!"

Evie frowned as Mister Baker made his way over to them. Before he could say anything, she interrupted. "I assume you've heard the news about Mrs Rookwood?"

"A-Ah, yes…" Mister Baker shook his head in disbelief, "… I simply can't believe it, but- "

"- The Creed were wondering if we might get a bit more information about this organisation of yours." She interrupted again, as Edward remained silent behind her, "For example, do you check up on the children once you put them in their new homes?"

"… We can't be everywhere Miss Frye."

"That's not much of an answer Sir."

"Yeah…" Edward piped up behind her, "… I mean, you've got a nice set-up here… a real money-maker. Suppose these people find out what really happens to some of these children? How they're treated like nothing, forced to work like slaves and abused by those who swore to protect them?"

"How many do you think would still support Baker House when they find out?"

Mister Baker frowned, glancing between Evie and Edward, "Are you… Are you threatening me?"

Edward laughed and waved his hand in dismissal, "No, no, no! No, think of this as more of an opportunity to refine your system."

Silence.

Eventually, Mister Baker nodded and slowly backed away, heading into the crowd and then to the podium, where he took his place on the stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" he began, waiting for everyone to turn to him, "… there's been a matter of concern that's been brought to my attention. It involves making some very important changes at Baker House, changes for the better I believe. When I started…"

As Mister Baker continued, Evie leaned over to Edward. "Do you think Jacob would be proud of us… what we've done since the bombing?"

"… Who knows what Jacob is thinking nowadays."

At the tense tone in his voice, Evie glanced over and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Before Edward could answer, a certain name caught their attention.

"- and here I have a letter from Mister Jacob Frye himself." Glancing quickly at the two Assassins, "it reads as follows;

Dear Rich People,

I know some of you still believe I was the bad guy in the whole bombing incident… seriously?

Whatever, I suppose I can understand why. Whoever you decide to blame for all that, I know that a lot of people suffered because of it, especially the children.

Having heard about the Baker House, I've decided to make a donation towards it.

Maybe it'll change some people's opinion of me…. Maybe it won't. But I hope it'll help."

Mister Baker paused, looking in the envelope that he'd originally pulled the letter out of, and pulling a check out… and gasping in shock.

Through the paper, Evie could see quite a few zeros. She could only hope that Mister Baker actually used the money to help Baker House and the children.

Clearing his throat, Mister Baker slipped the check into his pocket and took a deep breath, continuing on with the letter, this time, his eyes on the two assassins specifically.

"Evie, Edward, I know what you want me to say.

Why haven't I come back?

Why do I insist on writing letters instead of telling you all this face-to-face?

Why am I being such a bad brother and friend?

I wish I could answer this… no, I know how to answer it…. I'm scared.

I've been away for too long and I have no idea how to come back…. But I will one day I promise. In the meantime, make sure this money is used properly and continue being awesome.

Be seeing you.

Love Jacob."

Without waiting for Mister Baker to question them, the pair raced out of the door, much to the shock of the rest of the guests.

They knew there was a chance the letter had been delivered not too long ago… there was a chance Jacob had decided to stick around.

"JACOB" she cried out desperately, "JACOB!"

Silence.

Beside her, Edward placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her close as she started to shake, tears building up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Evie… I'm so sorry."

As he led her away, the pair failed to see the figure watching them from the rooftops, a soft but sad smile on his face.


End file.
